Punjab Police marks presence on social media

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Monday marked its presence on the social media to counter misinformation campaign and false propaganda unleashed by radicals or gangsters to influence people, especially youth.Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh formally launched the online campaign of the Punjab Police here. The social media campaign of the police will go a long way in bridging the gap between the police and the citizens and also in tackling the abuse of social media by gangsters and criminals seeking to spread terror in the state, the chief minister said at the launch ceremony.The social media accounts will provide an effective forum for information dissemination/feedback/complaint channelling, said the chief minister, urging the police to harness the social media power effectively, for the mutual benefit of the force and the citizens.The chief minister called upon the police to use the social media in a productive manner to connect with various sections of the society, particularly the youth, in order to provide transparent, responsive and effective policing.Social media can be of immense help in effectively handling law and order situations, prevention and detection of crimes, and other aspects of policing, he said.The DGP said the police would use the three social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) to come closer to the people.The social media cell will be led by the inspector general rank police officer and it would work round the clock to give timely and effective response to any threat of misinformation campaign, official said.The move of the Punjab Police in setting up a social media cell came in the backdrop of radicalisation campaign being carried out on various platforms of the social media and Amarinder Singh had also directed the state police to remain vigilant against such campaigns in November last year.